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COPYRIGHT 1882 BY M. DUNHAM. 




Where had he been in his time? he repeated, when I asked him the ques- 
tion. Lord, he had been everywhere ! And what had he been? Bless you, 
he had been everything you could mention a'most. 

Seen a good deal? Why of course he had. I should say so, he could 
assure me, if I only knew about a twentieth part of what had come in his way. 
Why, it would be easier for him, he expected, to tell what he hadn't seen than 
what he had. Ah! A deal, it would. 

What was the curiousest thing he had seen? Well! He did'nt know. He 
couldn't momently name what was the curiousest thing he had seen, unless it 
was a Unicorn, — and he see him once at a Fair. But supposing a young gen- 
tleman not eight year old was to run away with a fine young woman of seven, 
might I think that a queer start ? Certainly ? Then that was a start as he 
himself had had his blessed eyes on, and he had cleaned the shoes they run 
away in, — and they was so little that he couldn't get his hand hito 'em. 

Master Harry Walmer's father, you see, he lived at the Elmses, down 
away by Shooter's Hill there, six or seven miles from Lunnon. He was a 
gentleman of spirit, and good-looking, and held his head up when he walked, 
and had what you may call fire about him. He wrote poetry, and he rode, 
and he ran, and he cricketed, aiid he danced, and he acted, and he done it all 










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equally beautiful. He was uncommon proud of Master Harry as was his only 
child ; but he didn't spoil him neither. He was a gentleman that had a will of 
his own, and a eye of his own, and that would be minded. Consequently, 
though he made quite a companion of the fine bright boy, and was delighted to 
see him so fond of reading his fairy books, and was never tired of hearing him 
say my name is Norval, or hearing him sing his songs about Young May Moons 
is beaming love, and When he as adores thee has left but the name, and that ; 
still he kept the command over the child, and the child was a child, and it's to 
be wished more of 'em was ! 

How did Boots happen to know all this? Why, through being under- 
gardener. Of course he couldn't be under-gardener. and be always about, in 
the summer-time, near the windows on the lawn, a mowing, and sweeping, and 
weeding, and pruning, and this and that, without getting acquainted with the 
ways of the family. Even supposing Master Harry hadn't come to him one 
morning early and said, "Cobbs, how should you spell Norah, if you was 
asked?" and then begun cutting it in print all over the fence. 

He couldn't say he had taken particular notice of children before that: 
but really it was pretty to see them two mites a going about the place together^ 
deep in love. And the courage of the boy! Bless your soul, he'd have throwed 
off his little hat, and tucked up his little sleeves, and gone in at a Lion, he 
would, if they had happened to meet one, and she had been frightened of him. 
One day he stops, along with her, where Boots was hoeing weeds in the gravel, 
and says, speaking up, "Cobbs," he says, "Ilikeyow." "Do you, sir? I'm 




proud to hear it." " Yes, I do, Cobbs. Why do I like you, do you think, 
Cobbs?" "Don't know, Master Harry, I am sure." " Because Norah Hkes 
you, Cobbs." "Iirdeed, sir? that's very gratifying." "Gratifying, Cobbs? It's 
better than millions of the brightest diamonds to be liked by Norah." "Cer- 
tainly sir." "You're going away, aint you, Cobbs?" "Yes, sir." Would you 
like another situatioii, Cobbs?" "Well, sir, I shouldn't object, if it was a good 
'un. "Then, Cobbs," says he, "you shall be our Head Gardener when we are 
married." And he tucks her, in her little sky-blue mantle, under his arm, 
and walks away. 

Boots could assure me that it was better than a picter, and equal to a 
play, to see them babies, with their long, bright, curling hair, their sparkling 
eyes, and their beautiful light tread, a rambling about the garden, deep in love- 
Boots was of opinion that the birds believed they was birds, and kept up with 
'em, singing to please 'em. Sometimes they would creep under the Tuliptree, 
and would sit there with their arms round one another's necks, and their soft 
cheeks touching, a reading about the Prince, and the Dragon, and the good 
and bad enchanters, and the king's fair daughter. Sometimes he would hear 
them planning about having a house in a forest, keeping bees and a cow, and 
living entirely on milk and honey. Once he came upon them by the pond, 
and heard Master Harry say, "Adorable Norah, kiss me, and say you love me 
to distraction, or I'll jump in head-foremost." And Boots made no question he 
would have done it if she hadn't complied. On the whole. Boots said it had a 




tendency to make him feel as if he was in love himself, — only he didn't exactly 
know who with. 

"Cobbs," said Master Harry, one evening, when Cobbs was watering the 
flowers, "I am going on a visit this present Midsummer, to my grandmam- 
ma's, at York." 

"Are you indeed^ sir? I hope you'll have a pleasant time. I am going 
into Yorkshire, myself, when I leave here." 

"Are you going to your grandmamma's, Cobbs?" 

" No, sir, I haven't got such a thing." 

"Not as a grandmamma, Cobbs?" 

"No, sir." 
The boy looked on at the watering of the flowers for a little while, and then 
said, " 1 shall be very glad indeed to go, Cobbs, — Norah's going." 

"You'll be all right then, sir," says Cobbs, "with your beautiful sweet- 
heart by your side." 

"Cobbs," returned the boy, flushing, "I never let anybody joke about it, 
when I can prevent them." 

"It wasn't a joke, sir," says Cobbs, with humility, — "wasn't so meant." 

"I am glad of that, Cobbs, because I like you, you know, and you're 
going to live with us, — Cobbs ! " 

',' Sir." 
• "What do you think my grandmamma gives me when I go down there? " 

"I couldn't so much as make a guess, sir." 




"A Bank of England five-pound note, Cobbs." 

"Whew!" says Cobbs, "that's a spanking sum of money, Master Harry." 

"A person could do a good deal with such a sum of money as that, — 
couldn't a person, Cobbs?" 

"I believe you, sir! " 

"Cobbs,"' said the boy, " I'll tell you a secret. At Norah's house, they 
have been joking her about me, and pretending to laugh at our being engaged 
— pretending to make game of it, Cobbs!" 

"Such, sir," says Cobbs, "is the depravity of human nature." 

The boy, looking exactly like his father, stood for a few minutes with his 
glowing face towards the sunset, and then departed with, " Good-night, Cobbs 
I'm going in." 

If I was to ask Boots how it happened that he was a going to leave that 
place just at that present time, well, he couldn't rightly answer me. He did 
suppose he might have staid there till now if he had been anyways inclined. 
But, you see, he was younger then, and he wanted change. That's what he 
wanted, — change. Mr. Walmers, he said to him when he give him notice of 
his intentions to leave, "Cobbs," he says, "have you auythink to complain of? 
I make the inquiry because if I find that any of my people really has anythink 
to complain of, I wish to make it right if I can." "No, sir," says Cobbs ; 
"thanking you, sir, I find myself as well situated here as I could hope to be 
anywheres. The truth is, sir, that I'm a going to seek my fortun." "0, indeed, 
Cobbs?" he says : " I hope you may find it." And Boots could assure me — 




which he did, touching his hair with his bootjack, as a salute in the way of his 
present calling — that he hadn't found it yet. 

Well, sir! Boots left the Elmses when his time was up, and Master Harry 
he went down to the old lady's at York, which old lady would have given that 
child the teeth out of her head (if she had had any), she was so wrapped up in 
him. What does that Infant do — for Infant you may call him and be within the 
mark, — but cut away from that old lady's with his Norah, on a expedition to 
go to Gretna Green and be married ! 

Sir, Boots was at this identical Holly-Tree Inn (having left it several times 
since to better himself, but always come back through one thing or another), 
when, one summer afternoon, the coach drives up, and oat of the coach gets 
them two children. The Guard says to our Governor, "I don't quite make 
out these little passengers, but the young gentleman's words was, that they 
was to be brought here." The young gentleman gets out ; hands his lady out ; 
gives the Guard something for himself; says to our Governor, "We're to stop 
here to-night, please. Sitting-room and two bed-rooms will be required. 
Chops and cherry pudding for two! " and tucks her, in her little skyblue man- 
tle, under his arm, and walks into the house much bolder than Brass. 

Boots leaves me to judge what the amazement of that establishment was, 
when those two tiny creatures aU alone by themselves was marched into the 
Angel, — much more so, when he, who had seen them without their seeing him, 
give the Governor his views of the expedition they was upon. "Cobbs," says 
the Governor, " if this is so, I must set off myself to York, and quiet their 




friends' minds. In which case you must keep your eye upon 'em and humor 
'em, till I come back. But before I take these measures, Cobbs, I should 
wish you to find from themselves whether your opinions is correct." " Sir, to 
you," says Cobbs, "that shall be done directly." 

So Boots goes up-stairs to the Angel, and there he finds Master Harry, on 
a e-nor-mous sofa, immense at any time, but looking like the Great Bed of 
Ware, compared with him,— a drying the eyes of Miss Norah with his pocket- 
hankercher. Their little legs was entirely off" the ground, of course, and it really 
is not possible for Boots to express to me how small them children looked. 

"It's Cobbs! It's Cobbs!" cries Master Harry, and comes running to him, 
and catching hold of his hand. Miss Norah comes running to him on t'other 
side and catching hold of his t'other hand, and they both jump for joy. 

"I see you a getting out, sir," says Cobbs. "I thought it was you. I 
thought I couldn't be mistaken in your height and figure. What's the object 
of your journey, sir ? — ^Matrimonial ? " 

"We are going to be married, Cobbs, at Gretna Green," returned the boy. 
" We have run away on purpose. Norah has been in rather low spirits, Cobbs ; 
but she'll be happy, now we have found you to be our friend." 

"Thank you, sir, and thank you, miss," says Cobbs, "for your good 
opinion. Did you bring any luggage with you, sir?" 

If I will believe Boots when he gives me his word and honor upon it, the 
lady had got a parasol, a smelling-bottle, a round and a half of cold buttered 
toast, eight peppermint drops, and a hair-brush, — seemingly a doll's. The 
gentleman had got about half a dozen yards of string, a knife, three or four 




sheets of writing-paper folded up surprising small, a orange, and a Chaney 
mug with his name upon it. 

"What may be the exact natur of your plans, sir?" says Cobbs. 

"To go on," replied the boy, — which the courage of that boy was some- 
thing wonderful ! — "in the morning and be married to-morrow." 

"Just so, sir," says Cobbs. "Would it meet your views, sir, if I was to 
accompany you ? " 

When Cobbs said this, they both jumped for joy again, and cried out 
" yes, yes, Cobbs. Yes! " 

"Well, sir," says Cobbs. "If you will excuse my having the freedom to 
give an opinion, what I should recommend would be this. I'm acquainted 
with a pony, sir, which put in a pheayton that I could borrow, would take 3'ou 
and Mrs. Harry Walmers, Junior (myself driving, if you approved), to the end 
of your journey in a very short space of time. I am not altogether sure, sir, 
that this pony will be at liberty to-morrow, but even if you had to wait over 
to-morrow for him, it might be worth your while. As to the small account 
here, sir, in case you was to find yourself running at all short, that don't sig- 
nify ; because I'm a part proprietor of this inn, and it could stand over." 

Boots assures me that when they clapped iheir hands, and jumped for joy 
again and called him "Good Cobbs! " and "Dear Cobbs! " and bent across him 
to kiss one another in the dehght of their confiding hearts, he felt himself the 
meanest rascal for deceiving 'em that ever was born. 

"Is there anything you want just at present, sir?" says Cobbs, mortally 
ashamed of himself. 




"We should like some cakes after dinner," answered Master Harry, folding 
his arms, putting out one leg, and looking straight at him, "and two apples, — 
and jam. With dinner we should like to have toast-and-water. But Norah 
has always been accustomed to half a glass of currant wine at dessert. And 
so have I." 

" It shall be ordered at the bar, sir," says Cobbs ; and away he went. 

Boots has the feeling as fresh upon him at this minute of speaking as he 
had then, that he would far rather have had it out in half a dozeij rounds with 
the Governor, then have combined with him ; and that he wished with all his 
heart there was any impossible place where those two babies could make an 
impossible marriage, and live impossibly happy ever afterwards. However as 
it couldn't be, he went into the Governor's plans, and the Governor set off for 
York in half an hour. 

The way hi which the women of that house— without exception — every 
one of 'em — married and single — took to that boy when they heard the story, 
Boots considers surprising. It was as much as he could do to keep 'em from 
dashing into the room and kissing him. They climbed up all sorts of places, 
at the risk of their lives, to look at him through a pane of glass. They was 
seven deep at the keyhole. They was out of their minds about him and his 
bold spirit. 

In the evening Boots went into the room to see how the runaway couple 
was getting on. The gentleman was on the window-seat, supporting the lady 
in his arms. She had tears upon her face, and was lying very tired and half 
asleep, with her head upon his shoulder. 




"Mrs. Harry Walmers, Junior, fatigued, sir?" says Cobbs. 
" Yes, she is tired, Cobbs ; but she is not used to be away from home, and 
she has been in low spirits again. Cobbs, do you think you could bring a 
biffin please ? " 

"I ask your pardon, sir," says Cobbs. "What was it you — ?" 
" T think a Norfolk biffin would rouse her, Cobbs. She is very fond of them.') 
Boots withdrew in search of the required restorative, and when he brought 
it in, the gentleman handed it to the lady, and fed her with a spoon, and took 
a little himself; the lady being heavy with sleep, and rather cross. "What 
should you think, sir," says Cobbs, "of a chamber Candlestick?" The gentle- 
man approved ; the chambermaid went first, up the great staircase ; the lady, 
in her sky-blue mantle, followed, gallantly escorted by the gentleman ; the 
gentleman embraced her at her door, and retired to his own apartment, where 
Boots softly locked him up. 

Boots couldn't but feel with increased acuteness what a base deceiver he 
was, when they consulted him at breakfast (they had ordered sweet milk-and- 
water, and toast and currant jelly, over-night,) about the pony. It really was 
as much as he could do, he don't mind confessing to me, to look them two 
youhg things in the face, and think what a wicked old father of lies he had 
grown up to be. Howsomever, he went on a lying like a Trojan about the 
pony. He told 'em that it did so unfort'nately happen that the pony was half 
clipped you see, and that he couldn't be taken out in that state, for fear it 
should strike to his inside. But that he'd be finished clipping in the course of the 
day, and that to-morrow morning at eight o'clock the pheayton would be ready. 




Boots's view of the whole case, looking back upon it in my room, is, that Mrs. 
Harry "Walmers, Junior, was beginning to give in. She hadn't had her hair 
curled when she went to bed, and she didn't seem quite up to brushing it her- 
self, and its getting in her eyes put her out. But nothing put out Master 
Harry. He sat behind his breakfast cup, a tearing away at the jelly, as if he 
had been his own father. 

After breakfast. Boots is inclined to consider that they drawed soldiers, 

at least he knows that many such was found in the fireplace, all on horseback. 
In the course of the morning, Master Harry rang the bell, — it was surprising 
how that there boy did carry on, — and said in a sprightly way, " Cobbs, is 
there any good walks in this neighborhood?" 

"Yes, sir," says Cobbs. "There's Love Lane," 

"Get out with you, Cobbs!" — that was that there boy's expression, — 
"you're joking." 

"Begging your pardon, sir," says Cobbs, -"there really is Love Lane. 
And a pleasant walk it is, and proud shall I be to show it to yourself and Mrs. 
Harry Walmers, Junior." 

"Norah, dear," said Master Harry, "this is curious. We really ought to 
see Love Lane. Put on your bonnet, my sweetest darling, and we wiU go 
there with Cobbs." 

Boots leaves me to judge what a Beast he felt himself to be, when that 
young pair told him, as they all three jogged along together, that they had 
made up their minds to give him two thousand guineas a year as head gardener, 
on accounts of his being so true a friend to 'em. Boots could have wished at 




the moment that the earth would have opened and swallered him up, he felt 
80 mean, with their beaming eyes a looking at him, and believing him. Well, 
sir, he turned the conversation as well as he could, and he took 'em down Love 
Lane to the water-meadows, and there Master Harry would have drownded 
himself in half a moment more a getting out a water-lily for her, — but nothing 
daunted that boy. Well, sir, they was tired out. All being so new and strange 
to 'em, they was tired as tired could be. And they laid down on a bank of 
daisies, like the children in the wood, leastways meadows, and fell asleep. 

Boots don't know — perhaps I do, — but never mind, it don't signify either 
way — why it made a man fit to poake a fool of himself to see them two pretty 
babies a lying there in the clear still sunny day, not dreaming half so hard 
when they was asleep as they done when they was awake. But, Lord ! when 
you come to think of yourself, you know, and what a game you have been up 
to ever since you was in your own cradle, and what a poor sort of a chap you 
are, and how it's always either Yesterday with you, or else To-morrow, and 
never To-day, that's where it is! 

Well, sir, they woke up at last, and then one thing was getting pretty 
clear to Boots, namely, that Mrs. Harry Walmerses, Junior's, temper was on 
the move. When Master Harry took her round the waist, she said he "teased 
her so ;" and when he says, "Norah, my young May Moon, your Harry tease 
you?" she tells him, " Yes ; and I want to go home! " 

A biled fowl, and baked bread-and-butter pudding, brought Mrs. Walmers 
up a little ; but Boots could have wished, he must privately own to me, to 
have seen her more sensible of the woice of love, and less abandoning of herself 




to currants. However, Master Harry, he kept up, and his noble heart was as 
fond as ever. Mrs. Walmers turned very sleepy about dusk, and began to 
cry. Therefore, Mrs. Walmers went off to bed as per yesterday ; and Master 
Harry ditto repeated. 

About eleven or twelve at night comes back the Governor in a chaise, 
along with Mr. Walmers and a elderly lady. Mr. Walmers looks amused and 
very serious, both at once, and says to our missis, "We are much indebted to 
you, ma'am, for your kind care of our little children, which we can ijever suffi- 
ciently acknowledge. Pray ma'am, where is my boy?" Our missis says, 
"Cobbs has the dear child in charge, sir. Oobbs, show Forty!" Then he says 
to Cobbs, "Ah, Cobbs! I am glad to see you. I understood you was here!" 
And Cobbs says, "Yes, sir. Your most obedient, sir." 

I may be surprised to hear Boots say it, perhaps ; but Boots assures me 
that his heart beat like a hammer, going up-stairs. "I beg your pardon, sir," 
says he, while unlocking the door ; "I hope you are not angry with Master 
Harry. For Master Harry is a fine boy, sir, and will do you credit and honor." 
And Boots signifies to me, that, if the fine boy's father had contradicted him in 
the daring state of mind in which he then was, he thinks he should have 
"fetched him a crack," and taken the consequences. 

But Mr. Walmers only says, " No, Cobbs. No, my good fellow. Thank 
you! " And, the door being opened, goes in. 

Boots goes in too, holding the light, and he sees Mr. Walmers go up to the 
bedside, bend gently down, and kiss the little sleeping face. Then he stands 




looking at it for a minute, looking wonderfully like it (they do say he ran 
away with Mrs. Walmers) ; and then he gently shakes the little shoulder. 

' ' Harry, my dear boy ! Harry ! " 

Master Harry starts up and looks at him. Looks at Cobbs too. Such is 
the honor of that mite, that he looks at Cobbs, to see whether he has brought 
him into trouble. 

"I am not angry, my child. I only want you to dress yourself and 
come home." 

"Yes, pa." 

Master Harry dresses himself quickly. His breast begins to swell when he 
has nearly finished, and it swells more and more as he stands, at last, a looking 
at his father: his father standing a looking at him, the quiet image of him. 

" Please may I" — the spirit of that little creatur, and the way he kept his 
rising tears down! — "please dear pa — may I — kiss Norah before I go?" 

"You may, my child." 

So he takes Master Harry in his hand, and Boots leads the way with the 
candle, and they come to that other bedroom, where the elderly lady is seated 
by the bed, and poor little Mrs. Harry Walmers, Junior, is fast asleep. There 
the father lifts the child up to the pillow, and he lays his little face down for 
an instant by the little warm face of poor unconscious little Mrs. Harry 
Walmers, Junior, and gently draws it to him, — a sight so touching to the 
chambermaids who are peeping through the door, that one of them calls out. 




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" It's a shame to part 'em ! " But this chambermaid was always, as Boots informs 
me, a soft-hearted one. Not that there was any harm in that girl. Far from it. 
Finally, Boots says, that's all about it. Mr. Walmers drove away in the 
chaise, having hold of Master Harry's hand. The elderly lady and Mrs. Harry 
Walmers, Junior, that was never to be (she married a Captain long afterwards, 
and died in India), went off next day. In conclusion Boots puts it to me 
whether I hold with him in two opinions : firstly, that there are not many 
couples on their way to be married who are half as innocent of guile as those 
two children ; secondly, that it would be a jolly good thing for a great many 
couples on their way to be married if they could only be stopped in time, and 
brought back separately. 



